Jamaat may pressure BNP on Islamic state

By Our Special Correspondent

DHAKA, SEPT. 8. With elections less than a month away, the only party which has announced its election manifesto so far is the Jamaat-E-Islami , the dominant partner of the Begum Khaleda Zia- led alliance.

The Islamic organisation has declared that if voted to power, it will make Bangladesh an Islamic republic. Under the Constitution, Bangladesh is now a People's Republic. The Jamaat-E-Islami is confident that the combine will win the two- thirds majority in parliament that is required to make any constitutional amendment. The party manifesto was announced by its Ameer (president), Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami at a news conference here. The Jamaat has also pledged to ``rehabilitate the freedom fighters'' if voted to power, a commitment that goes against their fundamental beliefs as they were the only party that collaborated with the Pakistani army during the nation's war of liberation.

As a partner of the Begum Khaleda Zia-led alliance, the Jamaat is contesting 31 out of 300 seats. Political analysts believe that the strong cadre-based party may put pressure on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party to come to an understanding on the issue of Islamic republic. The other partners in the alliance, including the Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) and a faction of the Jatiya party will favour declaring the country an Islamic republic. Some minor partners of the Khaleda alliance have long been demanding enforcement of strict Islamic laws. Some of them are also alleged to have Taliban connections. Maulana Matiur Rahman Nizami, who was the chief of the infamous Al Badar outfit that killed most of the leading Bengali intellectuals during the end of the 1971 war, said ``to implement the manifesto we will launch a movement inside and outside parliament''.

The former President, Mr. H.M. Ershad, has got back the party's ``plough'' symbol after a protracted legal battle with another faction led by Mr. Anwar Hossain Manjoo.

Mr. Ershad, along with the Pir of Charmonai, an orthodox sectarian leader, recently formed the Islamic Oikya Front. He is fielding more than 200 candidates but he has been barred from contesting the polls after a conviction in a corruption case.

In the election manifesto of his party, Mr. Ershad declared that he would create six provinces in the country if voted to power. The implementation of this pledge will also require a constitutional change.

Meanwhile, there has been widespread concern over the chief of the interim Government, Justice Latifur Rahman's recent remarks that he will consider any proposal for him to become the next President.

In a joint statement, a group of eminent personalities demanded an immediate clarification from the head of the caretaker government about the comment he made while exchanging views with members of the Overseas Correspondents' Association.

They feared that Justice Rahman may have already got an assurance from certain political parties to become the next President. The statement termed Justice Rahman's comments ``immoral'' and said it went against the spirit of the non-party Government.

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Section  : International
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